The Best Coverage of Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” Rally

August 28, 2010

Forty-seven years ago today the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. So naturally the Tea Party reserved that real estate this Saturday with king clown Glenn Beck playing ringleader, hosting his ludicrous “Restoring Honor” rally. As white people flood the Lincoln Memorial — Sarah Palin among them — the world watches Fox News, either head in hands or fists in the air. In the words of Jesse Jackson, Beck is “mimicking King and ‘humiliating the tradition.'” Anyone who says otherwise is probably wrong. (No sign of the liberal, contrarian counter-argument. Link, please?) But here are some more nuanced takes. We’ll be updating throughout the day:

-The Washington Post has a great take on the lead-up to the event. It’s like this: “Beck has said that he did not intentionally schedule his Restoring Honor rally on the anniversary of the speech but that he considers the timing ‘divine providence.'”

Mr. Beck was followed by Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor. She said that she had been asked, in keeping with the theme of the day, to focus not on politics, but to speak as the mother of a soldier.

“Say what you want to say about me, but I raised a combat vet and you can’t take that away from me,” Ms. Palin said.

There’s additional coverage at the Caucus blog, including reports from Al Sharpton’s counter-rally.

-Mediaite’s Glynnis MacNicol is there and live-tweeting, when she can find cell phone service. She tends to keep her cynicism in check. Also Mediaite-affiliated is Rachel Sklar, who’s watching on television and more angry. (Sample tweet: “My favorite part was when Glenn Beck urged everyone in the crowd to donate to Pakistan flood victims! Oh, wait. #faithhonorcharity”)